The Impossible
by T. F. Crosby
Summary: There are things in life that we think can never happen, but then, just like that, they do. Remember that it's never over, so don't give up on yourself or each other. This is a series of oneshots. Story 3: Follow the Swallows
1. Chapter 1

This is a series of oneshots tied together only by one theme - the impossible. (Hence the title) The first three lines of the intro are from the song "The Impossible" by Joe Nichols and I put part of it in bold for emphasis. I want to drive home the point of these stories before you start reading them. The "impossibilities" of these stories may not always be obvious. But don't worry about that. The most important thing is that you understand the characters and can empathize (or sympathize) with them. The tones of these stories will vary. I hope to write some that lie on the more humorous side. The timeframes will also vary; Some set in the present, some in the past, some in the future. The first one is set a couple years in the future. Anyway, I hope you like them.

**xxx**

**The Impossible**

"_So don't tell me that it's over. Don't give up on you and me. 'Cause there's no such thing as hopeless, if you believe…._

"_Unsinkable ships…sink, Unbreakable walls…break. __**Sometimes the things you think would never happen happen just like that. **__Unbendable steel…bends. If the fury of the wind is unstoppable. I've learned to never underestimate… __**The impossible**_

Those words. However cliché it may sound to some people, it's true. _Anything is possible_. There are so many things I thought would never happen and yet…. You could ask just about anybody if there is anything that has happened in their lives that they thought would have been impossible and the answer would be yes.

It's incredible how things happen, how they turn out. I mean, who ever would have thought that the Storm Hawks, the greatest Sky Knight squadron that ever existed, would fall—betrayed by one of their own. Of course, who ever would have thought that the Storm Hawks would be resurrected and led by a fourteen year old? And who would've thought that that squadron would include a caring and sensitive Wallop and a Merb—_at all_.

We believe that the world is full of impossibilities, when in truth, it's full of possibilities. People often feel defeated by what the world tells them is impossible—that they lack the ability to do something important; that their dreams are unobtainable; that people can't change, no matter what. We deny ourselves what could be by listening to what the world says is supposed to be. Since when does the world dictate who I should be, telling me that what I believe is impossible, that it can never happen?

Regardless of anyone's personal beliefs, we are molded by them; by our own beliefs and by the beliefs of others. But what you choose to believe is what defines you. And I choose to believe that anything is possible.

That being said, there are times when I feel like I'm adrift in a sea of uncertainty, unsure of how I feel about certain people or if some of the things I do are any better than what they do. I know all sides are affected by these believed impossibilities, perhaps in the same way. Maybe we're all more alike than we'd ever care to admit to.

Piper once asked me if I believed anyone could change, no matter who they are. Although she didn't say it outright, I knew who she was referring to. Yes, I believe anyone can change, no matter who they are; and I hope they will. And I believe they can do anything. For all we know, the ones we call our worst enemies may one day become our greatest friends.

After all, you should never underestimate the impossible.

**xxx**

The first story should be up sometime next week. I may get most of it typed up Saturday, so who knows. Thanks for checking it out.


	2. Chapter 2: A Thread of Light

This is the first full story. It's sad with a bittersweet ending. And it was total hell to type. I almost didn't want to continue. I'm becoming too attached to the characters.

**Warnings: **It's sad and a bit gruesome in spots.

**Rating: **T

* * *

**A Thread of Light**

For the first time in twelve years he was heading out on a mission on his own. Not one of his subordinates would be with him, which for him felt rather strange. He was not used to traveling alone and when he touched down on the terra, he immediately wished he wasn't.

He had touched down in view of the Condor, yet his presence was not acknowledged in the slightest. An eerie silence engulfed the carrier; it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. It was far too quiet, even for that paranoid pilot of theirs. Something was horribly wrong.

He moved in closer to the Condor, stopping at the edge of the deck. The hangar door was wide open; and though it may not have been unusual, it was unnerving to him. He stepped up onto the deck and walked into the hangar. It was completely devoid of any sky-rides; even that dune-buggy the Merb drove was gone. He walked through the hangar, deciding to make his way to the bridge. However, he knew he had to be wary. If that Merb was anything like his carrier pilot from years ago, and he probably was, there would be traps galore. It was eerily quiet on the Condor and the air felt heavy. He looked down the hallway towards the rooms. _Silence_. He then turned towards the bridge; the door was open and the bridge was a mess. It had been ransacked. A feeling of pure terror came over him. He rushed off the bridge, down through the hangar and back onto the deck. He was halfway down the deck when he suddenly stopped, noticing something he had missed when he landed on the terra. It wasn't just the Condor that was silent; the entire area was sheltered in an eerie stillness. There was no wind, not even the slightest breeze. Nor was there even a single note from a bird or a sound from any animal.

He looked over the side and noticed footprints leading away from the Condor. The footprints began a few feet away; obviously, whoever the prints belonged to had jumped off the side. There were two sets of footprints; one set clearly belonged to that blue rabbit-dog-weasel-thing, and the other…well, he knew who they didn't belong to. The Wallop and Merb didn't wear boots and they were too big for the other three. Considering the condition of the bridge and the way the tracks were laid out (the rabbit-dog was evidently being chased), whoever was here was clearly not a welcomed guest.

He jumped onto the left engine and onto the ground. He knelt down, touching one of the boot prints. A chill ran down his spine. A buzzy _tick-ear _sound drew his attention to a grouping of large rocks. _A rock wren_. A single rock wren was a sign of death in a battle. A sickening feeling came over him as a horrid thought crept into his mind. He took off running, following the footsteps.

* * *

Radarr cowered underneath the spiny-rock bushes next to the large boulders just feet away from where his Sky Knight lay. Aerrow had still been alive when he came back to hide beneath the bushes; barely, but still alive. Evidently, the man had noticed as well; so he drove his blade one final time into Aerrow's chest. The teenager sputtered a few more bloody breaths before his life left for good. The blue rabbit-dog began to whimper. He had never been so scared in his life.

He could hear the man's footsteps walking around the bushes. Though he donned the Talon insignia, neither Radarr nor the other Storm Hawks had ever seen him before. He dragged his bloody sword along the ground, calling out for the animal.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are," he sang in a disgustingly pleasant voice.

He looked down at the bush that Radarr was hiding under. The animal stared into his icy-blue eyes. They seemed to stare right through him.

"It's time for you to join your squadron," the man continued to sing.

Radarr continued to stare at the Cyclonian, his aura giving off an evil that would make the Dark Ace cower in fear. The man was powerful and merciless. The Storm Hawks had had no chance against him; not even Aerrow was a match. He had escaped from the man initially, but was chased back to the Condor. The man ransacked the carrier chasing him around and eventually chasing him back out to where he was now. And he knew the man wasn't going to leave until he was dead as well. The Dark Ace was a just and honorable Sky Knight compared to this man.

The sound of a skimmer drew the man's attention away from Radarr. "Looks like you've received a reprieve, rodent," he hissed. "But it won't last for long."

* * *

The man walked away, but not in the direction of the skimmer. Radarr could only imagine what the man was planning or who had made his way to this terra.

He skidded to a stop just yards away from a gruesome scene he never thought he'd bear witness to. He stared straight ahead, unable to move. The ground was saturated with blood—their blood. They were all laying there; the Wallop; the Merb; the girl; the blond. They were grouped together, but Aerrow…Aerrow was laying a few feet away from the spiny-rock bushes.

"No…" he breathed. He had to be dreaming. This wasn't possible.

The air in his lungs was now escaping in short rapid breaths. He slowly took a step forward, then another. He was struggling to lift his feet off the ground. When he finally reached the group and looked upon them he felt every ounce of air in his lungs forced out as if he had been blasted in the chest. He stared at them, shaking. The Wallop, Junko, was lying on his back, two energy blasts to his chest. The Merb, Stork, was laying in a heap at the Wallop's head, an energy blast to the back of his head. He knelt down beside the blond. The girl, Piper, was draped over him. There were no obvious wounds on her, but upon taking a closer look it became clear that her neck had been snapped. He stared at the blond…Finn. His face had been slashed and he had been stabbed through the chest. He looked back at Piper. Her eyes were still open; a look of shock frozen on her face. With a trembling hand, he reached for her face and closed her eyes.

He felt his stomach lurch as he stood up and he nearly fell back to his knees. He turned around and walked towards Aerrow's lifeless body. The closer he got to the young Sky Knight's body the weaker his legs became and the more his stomach lurched. When he finally saw the full extent of Aerrow's wounds his knees buckled and he fell to the ground, heaving. If were not for his stomach being empty, its contents would have been all over. He crawled on his hands and knees to the teenager's side; his stomach was now in his throat. The boy was covered in blood that had poured out from numerous stab wounds. And that didn't seem to be enough for his murderer. His face and neck were slashed as well. He had seen and been in his share of bloody battles; but this…this was….

He touched Aerrow's face; he was still warm. Tears began to form in his eyes as he ran his hand through the Sky Knight's blood-soaked hair. It was still wet. He leaned forward, touching his forehead to Aerrow's as his tears began to fall. His left hand remained in the teenager's hair; his right hand holding tightly to the boy's shirt. He shut his eyes as tight as he could, but the tears wouldn't stop flowing. _He wasn't supposed to care. So why did he feel such overwhelming sorrow for this thorn in his side? And why did he feel such a seething hatred for whoever did this?_

"Why?" he seethed through his clenched teeth.

He lifted his head towards the heavens, screaming in anguish and anger as he pulled the lifeless teenage Sky Knight into his arms. He bowed his head, once again resting his forehead on Aerrow's, sobbing. _It had to be a dream. It had to_ _be_. He should be waking up any time now; in his own bed; in his own quarters. It had to be a dream. But the truth of the matter was unequivocal—he wasn't dreaming. _It was all too real. _He never dared believe that this would happen; not even at his own hand.

"This is impossible," he sobbed.

"Oh, no, my dear Dark Ace," an unfamiliar and very chilling voice said, "it is quite possible."

Dark Ace froze. _Was this the voice of the man that had so viciously slaughtered the teenage squadron? _He slowly turned around, reaching for his—_sword!_ He couldn't feel the handle. His sword was not in its sheath.

"Looking for this?" the man said coolly.

Dark Ace looked up at him. Not only had he not noticed the man approach him, but Dark Ace had not felt the man remove his sword from its sheath. He had been so wrapped up in his grieving, he had let his guard down; one thing he had been taught his entire life to never do.

Underneath the spiny-rock bushes, Radarr lay silently, watching the events unfold before him.

The Talon commander returned his attention to the teenager in his arms. "What did you do?" he growled.

"Exactly what you could never do," the man replied nonchalantly. "I destroyed them."

"Why?"

"Why?" the man reiterated with a mock laugh. "Because I was carrying out orders handed to me by Master Cyclonis." He pointed the sword to the back of Dark Ace's neck and in a gruff and harsh tone said, "Which is something you seem to have a problem with."

Dark Ace stared into Aerrow's hollow face, his sobs returning. He could feel the sword pricking the back of his neck and his blood trickling down the side, but he had no regard for himself.

"Isn't this a beautiful picture of redemption." The man spoke with a venomous sarcasm. "The Dark Ace weeping over his hated enemy. I suppose now you plan on avenging his death."

"No…" Dark Ace breathed softly.

"You know, this is going to sound rather strange, but…I'm not surprised," the man said.

"Should you be?"

"I suppose I should be," he answered nonchalantly. "After all, you are the Dark Ace." He paused. "But then again, you never really struck me as the revenging-type. You're just full of surprises."

Dark Ace didn't respond. His gaze left Aerrow's face and settled on two pieces of metal lying near the rocks, glistening in the sunlight. _Aerrow's twin daggers. _As he stared at the daggers a thought struck him. This was why she sent him in alone. All of his failures had finally culminated into a single and very damaging act of retribution.

_So, this is my chastisement for all my failures? Sending someone to murder the Storm Hawks? This doesn't make any…._

He was suddenly struck by an epiphany. He recalled an incident a month ago that occurred between him and Master Cyclonis. He had just returned from yet another mission in which he failed to dispose of the Storm Hawks. Recompense for failure had never been required of him before, so he had no reason to believe that there would be when he entered the throne room.

* * *

_Her back was turned to him as he approached the steps. "How many failed attempts to destroy the Storm Hawks does this one make?" she asked calmly._

_He was shocked by her query. "I don't know, Master," he answered slowly._

_"Tell me, Dark Ace," she said, keeping her cool. "Are you deliberately losing to that Sky Knight?"_

_Whatever the implication of her question was, if there was one at all, it sounded to him like she was questioning his loyalty. And she had good reason to. Though he had come close to defeating the "infant" Storm Hawks, the disposal of them had yet to be accomplished._

_He hesitated in answering. "No, Master," he said, kneeling down on one knee and bowing his head._

_"Hesitation," she said, her back still turned to him. "You've never hesitated in answering me before."_

_"Forgive me, Master," he replied with a less confident tone. "It's just that…."_

_She growled, spinning around and pointing her staff at him. He looked up at her, gasping at the expression on her face. An energy stream fired from the levitation crystal at the end of her staff into his chest, sending him flying backward across the room and pinning him against the upper part of the wall._

_"Master…why—" _

_"Silence!" she hissed._

_There was rage in her eyes and for the first time…he was afraid. What was happening? He had never seen her like this before, not with Ravess, Snipe, or any other Talon for that matter._

_"I'm beginning to think you don't want to destroy them," she seethed. "And I'm beginning to wonder just where your loyalties lie."_

_He said nothing, only lifting his head and staring her in the eyes._

_The energy stream suddenly disappeared and he fell to the ground, hard, landing on his left shoulder. He grimaced in pain, clenching his teeth and growling._

_Ignoring him, she turned her back to him once again and said, "I will give you a chance to prove your loyalty to me."_

* * *

Was this his chance to prove his loyalty to her? If it was, he had failed miserably. He couldn't let this man, whoever he was, get away with reaping the young lives of the Sky Knight in his arms and those that lay behind him.

Catching a strange glint from under the bushes out of the corner of his eye, they left their gaze on the daggers to see what the glint belonged to. Two yellow orbs stared into his crimson irises. It was that blue rabbit-dog. He had forgotten all about him. Dark Ace blinked at him and then returned his gaze to Aerrow.

Radarr was still trembling when his eyes connected with Dark Ace's. There was something different about him, the animal noted. This wasn't the usual Dark Ace he had seen so many times before. This was a very different Dark Ace. Radarr could feel changes in people; he sensed them. Dark Ace was hurting, just as much as he was.

"Well, since you're obviously not going to plead your case…you know, your loyalty to Cyclonis and all," the man said in his annoying nonchalant manner, "you won't mind if I kill you right where you're kneeling?"

"Go right ahead," the Dark Ace said flatly, laying Aerrow back on the ground.

Without saying a word, the man raised the sword, ready to drive it through the raven-haired man's body.

Finding courage within himself he never thought possible, Radarr snarled and darted out from underneath the bushes. He leapt up at the man, biting down hard into his left shoulder. The man howled in pain, ripping the blue rabbit-dog off his shoulder and throwing the animal through the air. The distraction gave Dark Ace just enough time to grab Aerrow's daggers. He dove for the weapons, but the man was already on top of him by the time he turned onto his back. He brought the blade down on Dark Ace, almost too quick for him to react; but the Talon commander was just quick enough to block the attack, pushing the blade up towards his head, the point settling less than an inch from his forehead.

"Well, well…. You do have some fight in you after all." He grinned. "You really _don't_ want to die."

The man began to push down on Dark Ace's block with seemingly little effort while he, in turn, struggled to push back. This man standing over him was far stronger than he thought he would be. His strength matched Snipe's, perhaps even surpassed it; even though he and Dark Ace had a similar build.

This man, who remained nameless to the soon-to-be ex-Talon commander, slowly let up, pulling the blazing red blade away. His arm and shoulder muscles, exhausted from the strain of pushing back a devastatingly strong force, relaxed against Dark Ace's will, leaving him vulnerable to another attack. The man grinned sadistically, raising the blade, ready to drive it into the physically exhausted Dark Ace. He knew where the man was going to strike, but he couldn't move fast enough. And even if he had worn his chest plate, it wouldn't have helped. The man drove the blade into his right side below his ribs. Dark Ace howled in pain as the blade was driven into his body and pulled back out.

Radarr awoke to Dark Ace's cries. He shook the dizziness out of his body and sat up slowly. His eyes settled on the two men and watched in horror as that man—the one who had murdered his friends—raised the blade above Dark Ace for one final strike. He began to whimper in fear, but then, something caught his eye….

The man raised the blade once again, this time for the final strike. As he readied to strike he said, "How fitting. The Dark Ace dying by the very blade that murdered his own Sky Knight."

Dark Ace didn't respond. He laid back, closed his eyes, and waited for the final blow to end his life. But it didn't come. He heard a voice; a familiar voice; a woman's voice.

"Put the blade down. _Slowly_."

The Talon commander opened his eyes. _Starling. What's she doing here?_

The man chuckled as he dropped the blade. "Well, what do you know? The Dark Ace weeps for a Storm Hawk and the Interceptor defends the Dark Ace. So, it was your skimmer I heard." His self-possession was beginning to irritate Dark Ace and, even though she had only been there for a few moments, it was irritating Starling as well. "I guess the line between enemies and friends really is thin."

"You will leave here, quickly and quietly," Starling ordered, holding a blade to the man's throat.

"Very well," he replied. "You win." He turned away and walked towards a Talon Switchblade hidden in some brush about thirty yards from where the four deceased Storm Hawks lay.

She watched the man, whose name neither of them had learned, walk to his sky-ride. Dark Ace rolled over and pushed himself up onto his hands and knees, clutching his bleeding side. He crawled over to Aerrow's body, gasping and grunting. He touched the teenager's face. _Cold_.

Starling returned her attention to the Talon commander once the other man was gone. She knelt down beside him, placing both of her hands on his left shoulder. He looked up at her; tears were streaming down his cheeks once again.

A blood-spattered Radarr slowly walked over to them, his face drooping. His ears perked up slowly when he heard the sound of a carrier. He feared it might be some kind of Cyclonian airship, but when Starling showed little reaction the animal figured she knew who the new arrivals were. The carrier landed not too far from them. Radarr didn't recognize the carrier as Cyclonian. It was likely, especially now, that they were not going to be bothered by Cyclonians anymore.

By the time he reached the two humans, Dark Ace was lying on his back with Starling tending to his wound. The rabbit-dog walked up on all fours to the right side of the raven-haired man's head as he cried out in pain. He reached up with his right hand and scratched Radarr under the chin. He rested his chin on Dark Ace's neck. An odd smell entered the animal's nose; an odd smell Radarr knew was emanating from the wound. It smelled like an energy blast, _but how could that be? _The sound of running footsteps broke the rabbit-dog away from the smell. They were soon surrounded by a number of people unfamiliar to him. He began to tremble.

"It's alright," Starling reassured, petting Radarr on the head. "They're friends."

"Who are you reassuring?" Dark Ace whispered. "Me or the weasel?"

Radarr grimaced at the remark while Starling smiled. _Weasel? How rude, _he thought.

He climbed onto Dark Ace's chest as two men placed him on a stretcher. The animal knew they were supposed to be enemies; he wasn't supposed to like the man. But when Dark Ace showed such sorrow and compassion for Aerrow and the other Storm Hawks…. Then there was the look in the man's eyes when the two made eye-contact while he was hiding under the bushes. Something was different about the Dark Ace now. As the carrier lifted off with all on board, including the bodies of his fallen squad mates, Radarr realized that their lives would never be the same.

* * *

Word spread quickly about the deaths of the Storm Hawks and how they died seemed to spread even quicker. The man who had killed them, now known to all Atmos as the Black Serpent, had no qualms about sharing his victory over the Storm Hawks and how the _dreaded_ Dark Ace wept for them with every Sky Knight squadron and civilian. He would gloat and laugh at how he accomplished in less than an hour what Dark Ace could not in nearly two years of battle. He could be heard saying, rather sarcastically, that Dark Ace was too honorable, he had to fight face-to-face, even with his own squadron. Dark Ace didn't have the guts to just kill them, like he should have.

"It's obvious he never wanted to kill them. The way he wept for that pathetic Sky Knight," he said to Cyclonis when he had returned to Cyclonia. "He should have stayed with _his_ Storm Hawks. He was no Talon. He proved much disloyalty to you…Master Cyclonis."

The people could only imagine what Cyclonis' reaction was, how she felt. They could only speculate as to why she would send her chosen champion to his death. And whether she actually wanted him dead or not lay in the realm of conjecture as well. But they did know one thing for sure: Atmos would never be the same. The battle with Cyclonia was going to change dramatically, but whether or not it would be in their favor remained to be seen.

* * *

The five young Storm Hawks were laid to rest on an out-of-the-way terra, far from Cyclonian territory, far from prying eyes. It was where Dark Ace would make his home along with Radarr, so the two of them could keep watch over the fallen heroes.

Their funeral was attended by Sky Knight and civilian alike. Many believed that there may even have been Talons in attendance. Cloaked figures were scattered throughout the crowd of mourners on that dark and rainy afternoon. When the service ended, the cloaked figures disappeared before anyone could confront them. No one could figure out who those mysterious figures were, though there was a lot of speculation.

Dark Ace didn't attend the funeral as he was in the hospital. Starling was also absent from the service. She had stayed by his side during his entire stay in the hospital. Radarr, due to a very painful biting incident, was allowed to stay with him; often making his home on Dark Ace's chest. It would be nearly two months before he would be able to visit the gravesite. The blade had caused more damage to his body than was initially thought. While the wound looked clean on the surface, inside was another story. Somehow, an energy pulse had been released inside his body causing serious trauma to his liver and lungs. Oddly, there was no damage to any other organs. The doctors were baffled. Although the blade had cut off a small portion of liver, the energy pulse had done more damage to his lungs, which only deepened the mystery. However, with time, he would make a full recovery, though there would probably be a few lingering problems. But that made no difference to Radarr. Dark Ace would survive and neither of them would be alone with this tragedy.

* * *

He stood silently in front of the memorial stone, each of their names skillfully, caringly engraved in burial order; Stork, on the outside left; Piper, on the inside left; Finn, on the inside right; Junko, on the outside right; and Aerrow, that little punk of a Sky knight, in the center. The sunlight glistened on his tear-stained face as he stared soberly at the polished rock. He was casually dressed (something he hadn't done in years) in red and blue nylon warm-up pants and jacket, red shirt and athletic shoes, clothes normally worn by athletes. Radarr sat atop his left shoulder, donning a new suit of his own.

No longer bearing the name Dark Ace, Kaleb knelt down in front of the stone. He placed his right hand on their beautifully inscribed names, bowed his head (as did Radarr) and closed his eyes.

"I promise," he said softly, "that for as long as I draw breath, I will fight for the good of Atmos and for every fallen Sky Knight." He opened his eyes, staring at their names. "Cyclonia will fall."

It had become a weekly ritual; the visits to the memorial; the words he spoke, almost routine; but it never lost its meaning. He had made a promise years ago and despite all that had occurred between then and now, he was going to keep that promise. No matter the cost.

Starling stood quietly in the background, leaving the two to grieve together; she watched them with a sober smile. It had been a year since that day and she had made regular visits to see them, making sure that they were doing okay. The pain had lessened, but she could still see the hurt in their eyes, especially Kaleb. She had begun to understand his reaction to their deaths shortly after the funeral, though she knew Kaleb didn't quite understand it himself. Remnants of the Dark Ace still lingered, but as time passed those remnants slowly began to fade away. And she hoped that one day those remnants would be gone completely. Radarr had become his constant, much in the way he had been for Aerrow. They needed each other, she knew, more than either of them could imagine. If something were to happen to either one of them, the other would be devastated. And so would she.

"Starling?" he said, now standing.

She looked up at him, still standing a few yards away. "Yes?"

"There's something I need to ask you."

* * *

Radarr yawned and opened his eyes halfway. He was curled up on the bed underneath a sleeping Kaleb's chin. It was hard to believe that it had been nearly three years since that horrible day. The memories still lingered, but they no longer had their grip on either of them.

His ears perked up at the sound of approaching footsteps. Starling walked into the room with her and Kaleb's newborn. Okay, maybe the infant wasn't a newborn exactly, but four months is close enough. She stood in the doorway smiling at the baby in her arms, for a moment, then looked up, still smiling, at the rabbit-dog (or weasel, as Kaleb liked to call him) curled up on the bed. Radarr lifted his head, smiling, as she laid the infant in the crib that was situated against the wall across from the bed. (They were still having issues with the nursery. And most of those issues belonged to Kaleb.) Starling sat down on the bed next to him, scratching him under the chin. She then leaned over and kissed her husband on the cheek. She smiled, placing her hand in his hair and rubbing his forehead with her thumb as she sat back up.

Thinking back to the day of the attack, she said softly, "I honestly thought you were just going to lay there at let him kill you."

"I was," he replied in a whisper, apparently only half-asleep.

"Sorry if I ruined it for you," she said, obviously being facetious.

He huffed and smiled in return.

Radarr looked at him. It was strange really. Never in a million years would the animal have thought that he would be in the position that he was now. Yet, here he was. He imagined that both Kaleb and Starling, at some point, had thought the same thing about themselves. He looked at each of them with some concern. The old Dark Ace may no longer exist, but there was a new one in town and he was far more deadly. Radarr had a big job ahead of him. He had a new family to take care of and a new Aerrow to look after. He looked up at the sleeping boy, smiling. The blue rabbit-dog knew for certain that this Aerrow was destined to become a "little punk of a Sky Knight."

His mind wandered back to the moments with his old friends. Their memorial site could be seen from the back balcony; a spot where he and Kaleb, and now little Aerrow, would spend their free-time in the warmer months.

Yes, here they would watch over their fallen heroes, but they knew that it would be the Storm Hawks that would be watching over them.

**_fin_**

I thought of this when I was looking over another of my stories (in which I discovered a verb-less sentence AFTER I posted it). There were two ideas that I had. What would happen to Radarr if something happened to the rest of the Storm Hawks? Where would he go? and How would Dark Ace react to their, especially Aerrow, deaths if it was accomplished by someone else? (Honestly, what is it with people having Dark Ace kill Aerrow and vice versa?) This story is as much about Radarr as it is about Dark Ace. I hope you liked it.


	3. Chapter 3: Worth

It's one am but I'm posting anyway. This story is actually an excerpt from "Dark Storm Rising" of a chapter that hasn't been written yet. Although now it has because this may actually be the chapter. I'll probably add some stuff to it when that time comes. There are some characters in here that have yet to appear in "Dark Storm Rising." Tobias is Dark Ace's grandfather (dad's dad); Cody-Lee (age 8) and Lily-Ann (age six) are orphaned Blizzarian siblings. Lily-Ann has a crush on Finn (she has no speaking parts in this). Yeah, so, anyway...

**Rating: **K+

**Warnings: **none

* * *

**Worth**

"It's a message crystal," said Piper while Aerrow stared into oblivion, holding tightly to the crystal in his right hand.

He was slumped into a chair in the library as the others stood around him, staring at him. However, Aerrow didn't seem to notice the stares…or he simply didn't care.

"From who?" queried Finn.

"Dark Ace," the Sky Knight replied flatly.

Stork cringed. "And why would _he_ send you a message crystal?"

"He knows we're here," said Aerrow, staring at the crystal in his hand.

"I don't think that was the answer Stork was looking for," the blond quipped.

Piper shot him a glare.

"He wants to talk to me," the redhead continued, ignoring his wingman.

"What for?" Junko asked.

"I'm not sure. He was pretty vague with the details."

The group went silent. Aerrow stared at the crystal as if contemplating its existence, analyzing its every detail.

"Are you sure he just wants to talk?" Piper asked, trying to suppress a growing concern for the young Sky Knight.

"I don't know, Piper," the Sky Knight replied, now rotating the crystal in his hand. "For all I really know, he could be coming here to kill me."

"If he wanted to kill you he would've done it already," mumbled Finn, not caring if anyone actually heard him.

"Probably," Aerrow mumbled back. "But he may not be the one to make that decision." He sighed, leaning forward in the chair. Speaking clearly, he said, "He wants a reply."

"Good," Stork said nervously. "You can tell him 'no'."

"I'm not going to tell him 'no', Stork," Aerrow replied, standing up. Something strange was going on and he wanted to know what it was. "I'm going to agree to meet with him."

"You've lost your mind, dude."

"Finn," Piper chided. "But I do agree."

"There's some things I need to know, Piper," Aerrow replied walking towards the door. "I'm going to tell him I agree to talk with him."

* * *

His boots clacked along the flooring of the empty hallway, the sound bouncing off the walls and echoing in his head. He didn't look happy; but then, he didn't look angry either. He would occasionally pass by a Talon or two as he turned through the maze of corridors; a maze of corridors he could find his way through blindfolded. After eleven years of living in this hell he called home, he was ready to give in, to throw away all that he had worked for. If killing those little punks was the only way to get to _him_, then so be it; but he wasn't positive if he could truly bring himself to do so. Would it truly be worth it? What would it prove? If he did do it, what would he do after? Would he be able to live with himself? Would he be able to go on? But for as much as he thought about it none of it mattered at the moment. Aerrow had agreed to talk and this may be his only chance. He had to know; a single answer; one word. He had to know if he still had a purpose in this life, if his own life still had any meaning. Was this existence all there really was to him? Or was there something far greater waiting for him? And if there was, would he be able to accept it? Or would he be overcome by despair in the end?

His mind was racing with so many questions he hadn't noticed that he was now approaching Ravess' quarters. The sound of a violin pulled him from his thoughts, though not right away. He wasn't sure at first if it wasn't merely in his mind. As the song came to an end, he raised his hand to knock on the door; but it wouldn't move any further than that, He sighed heavily, his arm dropping to his side. What did he honestly have to say to her? Yet, he continued to stand outside the door, risking the chance of looking like an idiot if she happened to walk out. _Oh, yes. That's exactly what he needed. _He huffed. Fantastic. Even his thoughts oozed with sarcasm. He growled at himself as he turned to walk away. The door opened with a soft 'whoosh' followed by a familiar voice.

"Where are you going?"

He stopped but didn't turn around. "I have a meeting."

"A meeting?" She raised an eyebrow. "May I ask with whom?"

"Nobody on this terra," he said flatly.

"Do you think you should be going out by yourself like this after…."

"I'm not worried about it," he said, turning around to face her.

She was leaning against the doorframe with her arms folded across her chest. She had that look in her eyes, that look that only he knew. He sighed. "If it is who I believe it is, he won't be acting rashly. He'll wait and see what I do."

"You'll be playing into his hands if you talk to that boy."

"I know." He took a few steps closer to her and continued in a soft, even tone, "But if I don't find out…all of this will have been for nothing."

"And what if he gives you the answer you're expecting? What will you do then?"

"I don't know, Ravess." He sighed again. "I'll figure something out. I made a promise to my brother and to…." He trailed off.

"You really believe it's her."

"I know it is. There's no doubt in my mind."

"Look," she said, "even if it's not worth it to him, it will always be worth it to me." He smiled at her and turned around. "Talon, be careful."

"I will," he replied, walking away. After a few steps he stopped. "Ravess?"

"Yes?"

* * *

Aerrow lay on his bed in the quarters assigned to him at the base, yawning, question after question bombarding his mind. He had agreed to meet with Dark Ace; but what the man wanted to talk about and why he needed to talk to the redhead, he had no clue. And to top it off, they wouldn't be able to meet for another three days. Kainopis was remote and technically it wasn't even charted. Not to mention it was on the other side of the planet. Although it shouldn't take Dark Ace three days to get to Kainopis, he did have a lot of the proverbial "red- tape" to deal with. However, the fact that he was Cyclonis' chosen champion gave him a lot of leeway; but if he was traveling alone the length of time would make sense. But then, he did have his friends at the Jackdaw.

The Sky Knight huffed. The next three days were going to be long. Maybe he could bide his time watching Lily-Ann follow Finn around or go listen to Cody-Lee practice his violin. That kid was awesome—and only eight years old! He grinned at the thought of Lily-Ann following Finn everywhere; the six year old had a crush on his wingman. Finn didn't seem to mind.

He sighed as he sat up. He really hoped these next three days would go by fast.

* * *

Dark Ace stood next to his Switchblade, staring at the old tavern before him. Familiar sky-rides were parked all about the dirt lot. He let out a long and heavy puff of air. He knew he couldn't head to Kainopis on a Cyclonian destroyer and he definitely wouldn't make it on his Switchblade; he needed help from some old friends. The Talon commander hadn't intended to make the young Sky Knight wait so long, but he needed to see them. They would keep him from backing out. He grabbed his guitar off of his ride and headed for the entrance. There was no way the regulars of the Jackdaw Tavern would let him walk out without at least playing one song. He grinned as he stepped inside. The crowd was as boisterous as ever and when a couple of the patrons caught a glimpse of the slender, raven-haired man, the clamor grew.

"Well, look who's back already," roared a scruffy-looking Raptor.

"And none too soon." A large, dark-skinned Wallop walked up to Dark Ace and put his arm around the man's shoulder. "I see you brought your guitar."

"Yeah, well. I know there's no way I'll be allowed to walk out of this place without playing something," Dark Ace replied.

"So, what brings you back so soon?"

Dark Ace took a deep breath. "I need a favor."

Vireo smiled softly and began pulling him over to the table where the rest of his band mates were seated.

Kite and Shrike stood up as the other two reached the table and each gave their old friend a hug. After setting down the meals for a table, Theron, the tavern's owner, walked over and gave Dark Ace a hug as well, welcoming Blackbird back.

"It's good to see you back so soon, Blackbird," Theron said.

"Same here, Theron."

"Alright, alright," said Vireo, facetiously waving Theron away. "We have some business to get down to."

Theron chuckled, shaking his head, and walked away to tend to the other patrons. Dark Ace and Vireo sat down at the table with their two band mates. The four friends engaged in some minor pleasantries before getting down to the business at hand.

"So, why back so soon?" Shrike asked.

"I need a favor," Dark Ace replied.

Kite raised an eyebrow. "A favor?" The Merb grinned knowing full well why his old friend needed a favor from them. "So, where is he?"

"Kainopis."

Shrike leaned in. "Kainopis? Isn't there a Shadow Guard base there?"

"Yeah," Dark Ace replied flatly.

"I guess your protégé met up with them, then," Vireo said, flashing his infamous grin.

Kite snorted. "Only way they'd find it. _Heh_."

"Those punks would find it by accident," the Talon commander scoffed, a small sneer crossing his lips. The three other men stared at him, amused. "What?"

"Man, you'd be lost if anything ever happened to them," Shrike said with a lopsided grin. "Especially ol' Red."

Dark Ace scowled. "Oh, shut up."

"Come on, Blackbird," Vireo said, standing up and pulling Dark Ace out of his seat. "Gotta play at least one song."

The Talon commander smirked. "And I have just the song."

Kite and Shrike looked at each other. "Uh-oh."

Dark Ace picked up the blue and white electric guitar leaning against the wall next to the drums, foregoing his acoustic for the song he had in mind.

"So what'll it be, Blackbird?" the Raptor, Skurj, yelled from the back of the tavern.

He looked at his band mates, grinning. "It's time for certain people to get offa my back."

Vireo laughed. "Start us off, Kite."

Kite took a few strikes on his base drum before Dark Ace jumped in with his guitar and began to sing.

"Well you think that you can take me on, you must be crazy.

"There isn't a single thing you've done, that's gonna faze me.

"Oh, but if you wanna have a go…. I just wanna let you know…."

Vireo and Shrike came in as Dark Ace began the chorus.

"Get offa my back and into my game.

"Get outta my way and outta my brain.

"Get outta my face or give it your best shot.

"I think it's time you better face the facts.

"Get offa my back!

"You know it's just a game that I'm playin'.

"Don't think that you can find a way in.

"That's what I'm sayin'.

"Oh, if you wanna have a go….

"I just wanna let you know….

"Oh, get offa my back and into my game.

"Get outta my way and outta my brain.

"Get outta my face or give it your best shot.

"I think it's time you better face the facts.

"Get offa my back."

For a brief moment, he was enjoying life and for that brief moment he was _not_ Dark Ace, he was Blackbird, Talon; the young man who had loved the very essence of life to its core and wanted nothing to do with the power-lust that emanated so persistently from Cyclonia.

"Oh, if you wanna have a go….

"I just wanna let you know….

"Get off—Get off—Yeah, get offa my back and into my game.

"Get outta my way and outta my brain.

"Get outta my face or give it your best shot.

"You'll know this train is comin' off this track.

"Get offa my back.

"Get off…. _Hey!_

"Get off—Get off—Get off—Get off—Get off—Get off—Get off—Get offa my back!"

Dark Ace grinned from ear to ear as he listened to the crowd whoop and whistle. For that brief moment, he had forgotten all his troubles. He suddenly felt an overwhelming sadness fall upon him, though his face didn't show it. For that brief moment, was far too short.

Skurj chuckled to himself as he watched the four men on stage. _Well, well. Looks like our boy has a whole new slate to write on. _Skurj locked eyes with Dark Ace. _You ready for a head-on collision, Talon?_

* * *

Hearing a heavy sigh, Piper looked up from her book. Aerrow was sitting in the library's large bay window, looking out into the courtyard. She got up from her chair, walked over to the window and sat down across from him. She looked out the window into the courtyard. Finn and Junko were playing a game with a group of kids. Lily-Ann was sitting on a bench, staring dotingly at the sharpshooter. Piper couldn't help snickering. She looked back at Aerrow; he seemed to be lost in his own world. She wondered what was going through his mind. Not wanting to say anything just yet, she decided to go back to her reading.

Aerrow continued to stare out the window, not really looking at anything. His mind wandered back to that day at the Jackdaw Tavern two weeks ago. It kept playing over and over again in his head—_that_ _song_.

_Was Dark Ace really talking to me? Or was it just my imagination? But if he really was talking to me, what exactly does he want? _He sighed, not removing his gaze from the courtyard. _Maybe that's what he wants to talk about._

An errant ball hit the window in front of him, snapping the Sky Knight to attention. Piper was unaffected by the window rattler. She had known the ball was coming as she had looked up from her book moments before.

"Sorry!" came the apologetic voice of their ballistics expert.

Cody-Lee trotted up to the window, picking up the ball and looking through the window at the two Storm Hawks. He gave them a cheeky grin and returned to the game.

"Hey, Piper?" Aerrow said, noticing her reflection in the window.

"Yeah?"

"Do you—" He let out a heavy sigh. "Do you think that Dark Ace could change?"

"Well…I don't really know," replied Piper. "I suppose he could. What brings this up?

He turned his gaze to her and said, "When we were on Terra Neepawa and Finn and me went to the Jackdaw and saw the Dark Ace, he…well, he just…he just seemed like a different person."

"A different person?"

"Yeah. It was like for that moment, he wasn't the Dark Ace." Aerrow sighed and moved off the window seat and over to one of the chairs surrounding the large, round coffee table.

Piper sat down on the couch. "What do you mean?"

"I was just so shocked to see him there and…like that. I don't know, Piper." He let out a heavy sigh. "It's just so weird."

"Weird, young one?" The two Storm Hawks looked up to see Tobias entering the library. "What is it that you find so strange?"

Aerrow sank back into the chair. "Just thinking about that day on Terra Neepawa," he said sotto voce.

"Ah, yes. Reflecting on my grandson," Tobias said, standing behind the chair opposite Aerrow. "May I join you?"

"Uh, sure," the redhead replied solemnly.

Tobias sat down, folding his hands and laying them in his lap. "Now young Aerrow, what is it that is bothering you so much?"

"You mean other than having to wait three days to talk to him?"

The elder man chuckled. "Yes, Aerrow. Other than having to wait three days to talk to him."

Aerrow hesitated in answering. It was weird for him. But Tobias, knowing that the Sky Knight would answer in his own time, waited patiently for the teenager's reply.

"When I saw him on stage playing his guitar, singing," Aerrow began, "it was like I was seeing a different person. It was like the Dark Ace didn't exist."

"Ah, I see," Tobias replied softly. "What do you believe you saw that day?"

The redhead gave him a quizzical look. "I don't know. I thought I saw Dark Ace, but now I'm not…." He trailed off. Tobias waited patiently for him to complete his thought. Piper gave her Sky Knight a concerned look. "So sure." He looked up at the elder man. "This is so confusing."

Tobias smiled empathetically. "Please allow me to ask you this," he said to Aerrow. "Do you believe that people can change?"

"Well, I guess. Yeah," Aerrow replied, tentatively.

"Perhaps what you saw," Tobias said, "was what Dark Ace should be."

Aerrow was bewildered at the statement. He hadn't thought of that. "That last song he sang, it was like he was..."

"Asking for help."

"Yeah…. How did…?" Aerrow glanced out the window. "Man, Finn…."

Tobias chuckled as Aerrow turned back. "Now, do not blame your friend. I have a confession to make. I was not being very gracious as I was in fact eavesdropping on your and the young sharpshooter's conversation yesterday." Aerrow grimaced while Piper chuckled. "I must admit, this old man does have his moments."

Aerrow sighed heavily, slumping down further into the chair. "First that stuff on Neepawa and now he wants to talk to me. About what I have no idea." He looked at the floor and mumbled, "Probably wants to kill me." He sat back up and said in a normal voice, "What if he does want help? What do I say to him?" He stood up and started pacing as he continued to speak. "I mean…he's the Dark Ace. What do I do?" He paused. "Great. Listen to me. I _sound _like a real leader."

Piper laid her book down and walked over to him. "Aerrow, stop. You're not perfect. And neither is Dark Ace." She sighed. "I know you'll know what to say and do when you talk to him." Aerrow gave her a look of uncertainty.

"She's right, Aerrow," Tobias said. "Dark Ace, like all of us at times, is going in blind, unsure of which way to go. He is constantly surrounded by darkness, unable to see the light that is shining on him." The elder man stood up and walked over to the two Storm Hawks, placing his hand on Aerrow's shoulder. "You have been given an opportunity, Aerrow. Dark Ace is in need of his own champion. Whatever you decide to do, remember this, you can either leave him in the darkness or lead him to the light."

Aerrow walked back over to the window. The courtyard was quiet. It was likely everyone had gone inside for lunch, which was beginning to sound like a good idea to him.

"Aerrow?"

He stared at Piper's reflection in the window. "Why me, Piper? I don't get it."

"I don't know, Aerrow. That's something you'll have to ask him."

* * *

In a dimly lit room of the _Dowitcher,_ Dark Ace sat silently on the bed, leaning against the headboard, strumming his guitar. Skurj's _Dowitche_r was faster than Shrike's _Avocet_ (though Dark Ace couldn't have cared less which carrier they took) so it was likely they would reach Kainopis well before his allotted meeting time with Aerrow. But at the moment, he was thinking of neither Aerrow nor their impending meeting. There was something—someone—else on his mind. _Meet me on Neepawa in five days. _He closed his eyes, letting his fingers slide along the strings, forming a melody, a song that he sang just before he left Cyclonia. Words began to form in his mind, speaking to his heart and he began to sing, softly, to himself.

"She's the sunset's shadows; she's like Rembrandt's light. She's the history that's made at night.

"She's my lost companion, she's my dreaming tree. Together in this brief eternity.

"Summer days, winter snow. She's all things to behold."

As Vireo walked down the corridor towards Dark Ace's room, his ears picked up a soft sound; _Blackbird's guitar_. He recognized the tune and as he reached the door he could hear Blackbird singing softly.

"She's my kinda raay-ay-ain.

"Like love from a drunken sky-aye-aye."

Vireo grinned to himself. There was something that that boy had failed to inform him of. He looked at the panel next to the door. It was unlocked, so he decided to make his entrance in the middle of Blackbird's chorus.

The quiet swish of the door's hydraulics went unnoticed by the guitarist, much to the delight of Vireo. He leaned against the door, waiting for the preoccupied musician to strum the last few chords.

As he hit the final chords, the Wallop said, "Is there something you've failed to tell me?"

Dark Ace's final note turned into a final screech with the sudden breaching of his tranquil state. "Do you not know how to knock?"

"Of course, I do. I just rarely utilize that knowledge," Vireo replied, flashing a toothy grin.

"Obviously," Dark Ace replied, returning the Wallop's grin with a flat expression of his own.

"You know, that scar of yours looks almost as good as mine." He paused briefly and then continued in a mock-thoughtful way, "I bet she..."

"Stop...right there." The Talon commander shot him a glare.

The Wallop chuckled. "As I asked moments earlier, is there something you've failed to tell me?"

"No," the raven-haired man said flatly.

The smile on Vireo's face grew wider. Blackbird could deny it all he wanted, but the man's serene demeanor, considering his impending meeting with the Sky Knight, was tattling on him..

"You old dog. You actually went through with it."

Dark Ace began to strum his guitar again. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Vireo let out a loud guffaw. "Took you long enough." He stopped laughing at looked at Blackbird with a stern expression on his face. "Now, I'm hoping you didn't—" The Wallop was cut-off by screeching guitar strings.

"I'll have you know that I have far too much respect for her than..." He trailed off, realizing that he had been caught. He smacked his head on his guitar. "I can't believe I fell for it."

"I know you wouldn't do anything like that. For as long as you've loved her..."

"Hey." Vireo was cut short by an approaching Kite. "We'll be in Kainopis airspace in six hours." The Merb noticed a cheeky grin on Vireo's face as the Wallop grinned back and forth between him and Blackbird. Kite looked over at the betrothed guitarist. He was strumming his guitar once again, playing the same tune as earlier. He looked back at Vireo. "Did I miss something?"

Vireo walked out of the room, playing an imaginary violin. Kite turned back to Blackbird. He leaned against the doorframe, folding his arms across his chest, and stared at his friend. Dark Ace tried to ignore the Merb, but he could feel Kite's stare boring holes into him.

Finally no longer able to withstand the staring, he said loudly, "What?" He quit strumming his guitar and stared back at Kite.

Kite stood up straight. "And when, _exactly_, were you going to share this?"

Dark Ace stifled a snicker. "When it actually took place." Kite rolled his eyes and walked out, waving his hand back at the raven-haired man. "You're on the invitation list." When Kite was gone, Dark Ace rolled over onto his side, laughing.

* * *

"Finally!" Aerrow said, loudly, to himself.

"Finally what?"

Aerrow turned around to see Cody-Lee standing in the doorway of his quarters. "I'm meeting with Dark Ace today."

"Oh. What for?"

"He asked me to."

"Are ya scared?" the Blizzarian boy asked, walking into the room, violin in hand.

"Why would I be scared?" Aerrow replied, trying to hide his anxiety.

"You're nervous. I can tell."

Aerrow sighed. "Okay, I'm nervous." He sat down on the edge of the bed. "A little."

Cody-Lee sat down next to him. "Sounds like a lot to me." The Sky Knight glared; the boy grinned in return. "So, why's he wanna meet with you?"

"He says he wants to talk to me."

"But you don't believe him?"

"I don't know. I wanna believe him."

The boy huffed. "Look, I don't know much about this stuff that's goin' on, but I doubt he's comin' to the other side of the planet just to fight you. It's not his style."

Aerrow gave him a quizzical look. "And how do you know what his style is?"

"How often has he gone well out of his way to find and fight you? From what I've heard, you guys usually wind up finding him instead." The teenager tried for a rebuttal, but the kid had a good point. "He may be the Dark Ace but he's not some mindless drone. If he were the type to leap before he looks, he wouldn't be Cyclonis' chosen champion. I don't mean to sound like I'm defending him or on his side or anything, but if it ever comes down to a serious one-on-one battle with him, you'd be toast. That's if he really wanted to kill you."

"Now hold on a minute—"

"You're not following me, are you?"

"Apparently not," said Aerrow, a little irritated with the boy.

"All I'm sayin' is, don't go in assuming anything. I doubt it's a trap." Cody-Lee stood up. "Just give him the benefit-of-the-doubt. You might be surprised." He smiled at Aerrow. "There may be a lot more goin' on in his heart than you can imagine." He smiled again and walked out of the Sky Knight's room. Aerrow sighed for the umpteenth time. The boy had given him a lot to think about.

"Precocious little scamp, ain't he?" Aerrow looked up; Soren was standing in the doorway.

"Yeah, real precocious," the redhead replied flatly.

"He is right, though."

"Yeah, he is." Aerrow stood up. "I'd better get going."

"Good luck," Soren said as the Sky Knight walked out the door.

"Thanks. I'm gonna need it. Man, this is so weird."

Soren watched him as he walked down the hallway. "You think _this_ is weird for you," he said to himself. "Just wait until you hear what _I_ have to tell you."

* * *

Their meeting place was located only a few miles from the base. Why Dark Ace decided on this particular location, Aerrow could only guess. By the time he arrived, Dark Ace was already waiting. The man was leaning against his Switchblade, lacking both his weapon and armor. (The fact that it was still daylight made that clear and put Aerrow more at ease.) He had his arms folded across his chest and seemed to be off in his own world. Aerrow stopped his ride a few yards away. He sat silently, unmoving, watching Dark Ace; hoping the Talon commander would make the first move. He was too nervous, though it seemed Dark Ace was as well.

Aerrow took a deep breath. _Well, here goes nothin'_.

He dismounted his ride and slowly walked toward Dark Ace, reaching for one of his daggers..._just in case_. The Talon caught sight of the movement out of the corner of his eye.

"I'm not here to fight," he said flatly.

Aerrow stopped a few feet away and dropped his arm to his side. "Then why are you here?"

"You didn't pay attention to my message?"

"Well, it's not exactly like it was a note from an old friend," Aerrow said nonchalantly.

"Fair enough," Dark Ace replied, slightly amused.

They fell into silence, neither one really knowing where to direct the conversation. Each knew the other was nervous, though the Sky Knight couldn't fathom why the Talon commander was apprehensive. But he had to keep in mind what Cody-Lee had said.

"Alright," Aerrow said, taking a deep breath, "what do you want to talk to me about?"

Dark Ace looked at the redhead. "There's something I need to know."

Aerrow raised an eyebrow. "What information could I possibly have that you would want?"

"It's nothing like that," Dark Ace replied, returning his gaze to the field, walking a few steps away from his ride.

The Sky Knight was now confused. "Then what is it you want to know?"

Dark Ace took a deep breath as he continued to survey the savannah before him. "I have a crucial decision to make soon," he began, "and your answer to my question will determine which way I go."

Now this was foreign to the young Sky Knight, this conversation. If they ever did say anything to each other, it involved a fight. But this...this was different. There was something odd about him that Aerrow couldn't quite put his finger on.

"_My answer?_ Why?"

"The first time we battled," Dark Ace began, his eyes remaining on the field, "I knew there was something different about you. I don't know what it is, but there's something that sets you apart from all other Sky Knights. I've battled countless Sky Knights, but none of them ever showed me what you've shown me." He paused, and then said in a barely audible voice, "Save one."

Aerrow couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was this really happening? _This is impossible_.

"For as many times I could've taken your life," he continued, "you could've taken mine. I don't care why you chose not to, that's not why I'm here."

"Then what do you want to know?" the Sky Knight asked, barely above a whisper.

"Considering everything I've done to you, your predecessors, the entirety of Atmos, given the choice of saving my life or letting me die—"

"If you want to know if I would save your life, _yes_, I would," the Storm Hawk said without hesitation. Dark Ace tried to reply, but Aerrow continued before he could utter a sound. "If you think I'm only saying that because it's the duty of a Sky Knight to protect the lives of all in Atmos, you're wrong." Tobias' words flashed through his mind as he spoke. _What will you do Aerrow, leave him in the darkness, or lead him to the light_.

Dark Ace turned around to face the teenager. "Say it to me, Aerrow, if I am. _Am I worth saving?"_

Aerrow was stunned. Those words...those words were something he never fathomed hearing from Cyclonis' chosen champion. But the teenager knew Dark Ace meant every word. _Worth saving? Of course_, _you're worth saving_. They stared at each other. Believing no answer was going to come, Dark Ace turned to leave. _You idiot! Quit thinking about it and say it before he leaves._

"Yes!" Aerrow yelled, taking a few steps forward. "You _are_ worth saving."

Dark Ace stopped dead in his tracks. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. There was sincerity in the boy's voice that he hadn't heard from anyone in years, with one exception. There was no deceit. The Sky Knight meant what he said. _Yes. You __**are**__ worth saving_. He smiled softly to himself and mounted his Switchblade.

Before starting the engine, he looked back at the Sky Knight and said, "Thank you, Aerrow."

Aerrow was perplexed as to why Dark Ace would go well out of his way to find him and ask him that. There seemed to be a lot of ambiguity between the two of them lately. It was no longer a black or white issue.

Dark Ace started his ride.

Aerrow was suddenly hit by an epiphany. _That song_. "Wait!" Aerrow yelled, running up to him. Dark Ace looked at him, a soft expression covering his face. "That song... That's why you sang it when I was there. You wanted to..." He trailed off; his mind was racing. "I can't even begin to understand why you're doing what you're doing, but—"

"I wanted to hear it from you," Dark Ace said, cutting the teenager off. "Regardless of the answer, I had to hear it from you. Face to face."

"But why me?"

"Things are only going to get worse, Aerrow," the Talon commander said, revving the engine. "Don't give in. No matter what."

"What do you mean?" Aerrow was now more confused than ever. He knew things weren't on the upswing, but what did Dark Ace mean by not giving in, no matter what?

"Don't let anything or _anyone_ sway you from doing what you believe is right. Listen to your heart and don't lose faith... I made that mistake."

"Made that mi—What are you...?"

"Listen to me, Aerrow," the Talon commander said in a stern tone. "Whatever happens, don't let anyone influence you into changing your decisions. Stray from your path now and everything you've worked for will be for nothing. Atmos needs you more than ever." He revved the engine one more time and with a final look at Aerrow, sped off across the field.

"Wait a minute!" the redhead yelled, but Dark Ace was out of earshot. "What...what do you...? I don't...I don't understand."

Aerrow watched in bewilderment as Dark Ace took to the sky. What in Atmos was going on? Nothing was making any sense. Was Dark Ace his enemy or his..._friend?_ Even though he didn't understand what was happening, one thing was for certain: _his world would never be the same._

**_fin_**

A quick note: Shrike mentioned Kainopis having a Shadow Guard base. The Shadow Guard is an off-shoot of the Sky Knights. It's made up of broken Sky Knight squadrons and ex-patriot Cyclonians with the occasional rogue and whatnot. The Shadow Guard will be playing a big role later on in "Dark Storm Rising." If you have any questions feel free to ask.

Now click on the "GO" button and leave a review. Come on, I know you can do it.


	4. Chapter 4: Follow the Swallows

**Follow the Swallows**

Aerrow sat up on a wood-fence with Piper and Stork sitting at his right and Radarr atop his shoulder. Junko and Finn sat on the ground in front of him.

He wasn't sure why they were there or even how they came to be there. He had no memory of anything happening prior to this moment and yet, there was no fear within him. For reasons he could not understand, he knew he was supposed to be there.

He didn't know what terra they were on or if they were on a terra at all. It was strange to think that they might not be on a terra; it was obvious they were not on an airship of any kind or in the Wastelands. So where else could they be but on a terra.

Yet, it didn't feel like he was on a terra. It was clear that they were on solid ground. (For one, Junko and Finn were sitting on it.) He was looking out over a vast plain that was stretching out to the north; The south was flooded with a wheatfield; the wood-fence upon which he was seated stretched out both east and west further than the eye could see.

They were seated underneath, what he believed was, a sycamore tree. It's branches were spread out in every direction, Completely covering all six of them in shadow with room for more to share in its cool shade.

His ear twitched at the sound of chirping. He looked up at the branches above him. Three swallows sat on the small branch to his left. A light breeze picked up, rustling the leaves and smaller branches, yet somehow, the branch on which the swallows were perched remained motionless; not one leaf flittered.

_Odd,_ Aerrow thought.

"The swallow is the bird of freedom."

"Huh?" Aerrow turned to his left. A man dressed in white was sitting on the post a few feet away from him.

"It's distinguished for its swiftness of flight, its love of freedom and the impossibility of retaining it in captivity."

Aerrow was a little shocked at the man's sudden appearance yet he felt at peace, as if the man was supposed to be there, as if he had always been there. He looked back out across the plain. There seemed to be no end to it. However, he could see a few hills in the distance and… _something else_.

His ear twitched again. "I know that sound," he said to himself.

"You should," the man said. "You have heard it many times before…even when you were not aware of it."

"It's a train." He felt Radarr twitch, repositioning himself on the boy's shoulder. "But how can a train be coming? There's no—"

He stopped abruptly when he noticed a single set of tracks thirty yards away. Yet another strange feeling came over him. _The tracks were always there._

The chugging of the train grew closer and its whistle grew louder until finally, it came into view. It came to a full stop in front of him. It was a solid, sleek, endless black. It cast no shadow and the shadow from the sycamore dared not touch it. The sun seemed like it was refusing to allow a single drop of its light fall upon the massive engine and its cars.

He wanted to go see it up close, touch it; but at the same time he wanted to run far away from it. He looked back at the man sitting next to him. He was looking at the train, unmoving, not even blinking.

Aerrow turned back to the locomotive; there was now a multitude of people near it. There were Talons, Sky Knights and common people of varying ages. Of each group, some got on, some did not. Those who didn't were looking up at a sign with an arrow on it. It read, "ONE WAY."

The young Sky Knight found the sign to be somewhat of a paradox. The train was headed west but the arrow pointed east.

"Where's the train going?" He knew it was he himself that had asked the question, but he swore he heard Finn's voice.

"Nowhere," the man replied.

"Nowhere…?" Aerrow repeated to himself. He looked back at the train to see three familiar faces. "Dark Ace…. Ravess, Snipe…. What are they…?"

"They are here to make a decision," the man said.

"Decision? What decision?"

"Whether or not to ride the train."

They were each holding a strange piece of paper. All three of them started to move towards the entrance of the train's first car. A horrible and sickening feeling came over Aerrow.

"No! Don't get on!" he heard himself scream.

The three commanders stopped and turned around.

_Had they heard him? Could they see him?_

Something then grabbed their attention and they looked towards the sky. They stared up at the firmament, as if listening to something. After a few moments they returned their attention to the train. Dark Ace held up his piece of paper, a ticket, in front of his face. He stared at it. Suddenly it caught fire. Dark Ace let go of it and it floated towards the ground, burning all the way. It never hit the ground.

Ravess and Snipe looked at him. There was an odd look on his face; one of pleading, perhaps? After looking at him for a few moments, the siblings held up their tickets and like Dark Ace's, the papers caught fire. They let them go and watched the tickets burn up—never to hit the ground. The three Talons looked up at the sign and began walking east.

Suddenly the three swallows took flight. Aerrow watched as they flew, not east or west, nor north or south, but straight up into the sky and disappeared.

"They have made their decision," the man said. "For them a new path now begins." He looked down at Aerrow. Noticing the curious look on the boy's face he continued, "One day you and your friends will make this decision."

"Whether or not to ride the train?"

"Yes."

"Will we make that decision together?"

"That I do not know."

"What about Cyclonis? Starling?"

They will when it's time. But remember, while you may make the decision together, it will be a different happening for each of you. No one shares the same experience."

He grew silent and they watched the train pull away. Aerrow was overcome by sadness as he thought of the people who chose to ride the train, though he wasn't sure why.

"What's going to happen to those people?" Aerrow asked.

The man looked at him with great sadness in his eyes. There was no need for a verbal answer. The man's eyes spoke directly to his heart. Aerrow knew the answer.

He looked back up at the man with another curious look on his face. "Why did those swallows fly off as soon as Dark Ace, Ravess and Snipe started walking east?" Radarr chattered in accord. "And why did they fly straight up?"

The man responded with a gentle smile. His smile told the young Sky Knight everything he needed to know. He couldn't help smiling back.

"You're final destination is up to you, Aerrow."

He looked back at the track. For the first time, he noticed how black they were. They looked almost sinister. It was so strange to him, but stranger still was a single thread of light, touching the rails. He looked up at the sky; the sun was behind a cloud. Seemingly appearing out of nowhere, a flock of birds flew past his line-of-sight.

"Turtle-doves," he said to himself.

He gazed out over the plain, closing his eyes. The sun shone warm upon his face. He took in a deep breath. As he exhaled he felt himself being shaken.

"Hey, Aerrow. Dude, wake up."

Aerrow slowly opened his eyes. "Finn?"

He looked past the blond to see the rest of his squad standing by their sky-rides. He stood up and dusted himself off. He walked to his skimmer with Finn. They all mounted their rides and looked at each other. Finn looked back at the fence.

"What are you looking at?" Aerrow asked.

Finn grimaced. "I'm…not sure."

Aerrow shook his head. "Let's go." He glanced back at the fence and then rode off.

* * *

Aerrow sat on his bed, journal and pen in hand. He stared at the words on the page in front of him.

_'Something happened to me today, though what I'm not sure._

_'It was strange and there was something terrifying yet comforting about it._

_'I don't know. I can't describe it. At least not with the words I know._

_'I don't believe those words exist.'_

"Hey, Aerrow…."

The Sky Knight looked up from his journal. "Oh, hey, Piper."

"The guys and I were wondering if you…." She trailed off. "Uhm, if you wanted to…."

Aerrow laid the pen and journal down and stood up. He smiled. "Sure."

_The whole experience, _he wrote, just before Piper came by, _can only be described as an enigma wrapped in a mystery._

_**fin**_

This story is full of symbolism. Most people won't get it, at least not fully; but that's okay.

Think what you want about what it may be saying, I don't really care. It is what it is.


End file.
